07/09/2025
𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡| 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: 𝗔 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀
Politicians are seen as leaders for the country’s development, but they can also be the very reason for its downfall. The Philippines has long been plagued by societal and environmental issues, and the most pressing one today has cost lives and livelihoods: failed flood control projects.
It is deeply alarming that many Filipinos, despite being hardworking taxpayers, are denied the services rightfully owed to them. Their contributions are supposed to fund development, yet these resources are often hijacked by public officials who choose corruption over progress. This betrayal is the highest form of irony—government leaders vow to uplift the nation, but instead line their pockets, leaving the country drowning not only in floodwaters but also in poverty.
GHOST PROJECTS
According to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., about ₱545 billion has been allocated for flood control projects since July 2022. Yet, upon inspection of several sites, he discovered that many supposed infrastructures exist only on paper—mere ghost projects. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) admitted that among more than 2,400 contractors, only 15 received the bulk of projects, absorbing 20% of the total funds. This points to a sobering truth: the money meant to protect Filipinos from disasters has instead fueled the lavish lifestyles of the corrupt.
PROMISES MEANT TO BE BROKEN
In Jessica Soho's Special Report, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong openly discussed alleged systemic corruption in government infrastructure projects, this includes prices for materials and equipment. For instance, he cited a NEDA study finding that the actual cost of rock netting is approximately P4,300 per square meter, but the DPWH listed it at P25,000 per square meter, suggesting a huge markup. Between 2017 and 2023, the total spending on rock netting in the Cordilleras reached P46.6 billion, with an estimated P28 billion going to kickbacks.
Such heinous acts spark outrage because flood control projects are not favors—they are promises of safety and progress. Promises that, when broken, cost lives. The billions funneled into corruption could have instead built classrooms, strengthened healthcare, or funded livelihood programs.
Amid of these controversies, the hard truth brings a critical realization: the Philippines is not poor—it is plundered. Hence, the failed flood control projects does not only reflect mismanagement, but also a deeper rot in the system. Every peso stolen is a peso stolen from a child’s education, from a farmer’s livelihood, from a community’s safety. Filipinos deserve leaders who value lives over luxury and self-interest, progress over profit. True development begins when corruption ends. Until then, every flood is not just something that could wash away homes, but also the trust that citizens once placed in their government and the brighter future instilled in every children who wants to be successful someday. The time is enough for turning a blind eye, for Filipinos deserve genuine public services, not any more empty promises.
words by Chinee Donaire
layout by Mike Shennuda Pilhati
𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡| 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: 𝗔 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀
Politicians are seen as leaders for the country’s development, but they can also be the very reason for its downfall. The Philippines has long been plagued by societal and environmental issues, and the most pressing one today has cost lives and livelihoods: failed flood control projects.
It is deeply alarming that many Filipinos, despite being hardworking taxpayers, are denied the services rightfully owed to them. Their contributions are supposed to fund development, yet these resources are often hijacked by public officials who choose corruption over progress. This betrayal is the highest form of irony—government leaders vow to uplift the nation, but instead line their pockets, leaving the country drowning not only in floodwaters but also in poverty.
GHOST PROJECTS
According to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., about ₱545 billion has been allocated for flood control projects since July 2022. Yet, upon inspection of several sites, he discovered that many supposed infrastructures exist only on paper—mere ghost projects. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) admitted that among more than 2,400 contractors, only 15 received the bulk of projects, absorbing 20% of the total funds. This points to a sobering truth: the money meant to protect Filipinos from disasters has instead fueled the lavish lifestyles of the corrupt.
PROMISES MEANT TO BE BROKEN
In Jessica Soho's Special Report, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong openly discussed alleged systemic corruption in government infrastructure projects, this includes prices for materials and equipment. For instance, he cited a NEDA study finding that the actual cost of rock netting is approximately P4,300 per square meter, but the DPWH listed it at P25,000 per square meter, suggesting a huge markup. Between 2017 and 2023, the total spending on rock netting in the Cordilleras reached P46.6 billion, with an estimated P28 billion going to kickbacks.
Such heinous acts spark outrage because flood control projects are not favors—they are promises of safety and progress. Promises that, when broken, cost lives. The billions funneled into corruption could have instead built classrooms, strengthened healthcare, or funded livelihood programs.
Amid of these controversies, the hard truth brings a critical realization: the Philippines is not poor—it is plundered. Hence, the failed flood control projects does not only reflect mismanagement, but also a deeper rot in the system. Every peso stolen is a peso stolen from a child’s education, from a farmer’s livelihood, from a community’s safety. Filipinos deserve leaders who value lives over luxury and self-interest, progress over profit. True development begins when corruption ends. Until then, every flood is not just something that could wash away homes, but also the trust that citizens once placed in their government and the brighter future instilled in every children who wants to be successful someday. The time is enough for turning a blind eye, for Filipinos deserve genuine public services, not any more empty promises.
words by Chinee Donaire
layout by Mike Shennuda Pilhati
